Angus Bell's surprise clearance for a tip tackle on All Blacks captain Sam Cane in last Friday night's Waratahs-Chiefs match has not gone unnoticed.
It has kicked off yet more debate about the operations and motivations of the Super Rugby Pacific judiciary this season.
But this seemingly weekly debate is overlooking a bigger issue within the game.
A spate of red cards in recent weeks — 11 of the 12 red cards handed out in 2022 have come in the past five rounds — has led to a spate of headlines on both sides of the Tasman referring to a "crackdown" on high contact and dangerous tackles.
But that's not true either.
The current guidelines, and refereeing and judicial framework — implemented to rid the game of contact with the head — were first issued by World Rugby in November 2016 to come into effect from January the following year.
The 2022 season is the sixth edition of Super Rugby to be played under these guidelines.
The way high and dangerous contact with the head is being officiated hasn't changed, but more players are finding themselves sent off and suspended because of poor tackling techniques.
Clearly behaviour around tackle heights from players — and coaches — has not changed.
Back in 2019, eight red cards were handed out among a total of 84 for the season. This equates to roughly a card every 1.5 games and a red card every 15.
Nine players were suspended that year and all for foul play of some degree, but around half were for things other than high tackles, with striking and stomping also earning suspensions.
Before the coronavirus pandemic hit in March 2020, 46 games were played over seven rounds across five countries under the "traditional" format of Super Rugby, which by then included Japan's Sunwolves and Argentina's Jaguares, along with four South African sides.
Forty-five cards were handed out in those 46 games, but only two of those cards were red while another two players were cited for foul-play acts. Two of those four foul-play acts resulted in suspensions for head contact.
So, we are talking about a suspension for making contact with the head roughly every 25 games in 2019, and similarly before the pandemic ground things to a halt in early 2020.
Even after rugby resumed in late 2020 — featuring domestic games in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa — there was only one player suspended for making contact with the head in more than 60 games played.
But in the trans-Tasman era since the start of last season, things have only got worse.
Across Super Rugby AU, Super Rugby Aotearoa and Super Rugby trans-Tasman, there were 69 games played in which a total of 84 cards were handed out.
Thirteen of those cards were red. So, from the 2019 figures of a card every 1.5 games and a red card every 15, by 2021 it was 1.2 cards every game, and a red card every 5.3 games.
In all, 12 players were suspended for making contact with the head of an opponent, or one every 5.8 games.
In Super Rugby Pacific season, it's even worse again. Fifty-three games have been played to the end of round 10 last weekend, with 12 red cards handed out among 67 cards in total.
That's 1.3 cards per game and a red every 4.4 games. Eleven of those 12 red cards have been for making contact with the head.
With one further citing for striking, 10 players have been suspended this year already and nine of those were making contact with the head in tackles or ruck clean-outs. That's a player suspended every week.
So far, only Brumbies fullback Tom Banks (in round six) and Bell have had their red cards downgraded by the SANZAAR judiciary after the panel found the actions of other players contributed to them making head contact.
Neither were received particularly well, and the headlines and reaction have generally followed the argument of whether they care about player safety in this day and age of significantly greater awareness of concussion and the dangers of head contact.
But when we've gone from a suspension every 25 games or so in 2019 to a suspension every week in 10 rounds this season — with no changes to the guidelines and refereeing framework for dealing with dangerous contact to the head in that time — it only leaves a couple of participants in the game at fault.
They are the players making poor decisions in their tackle and ruck clean-out technique, and their coaches not doing enough to change behaviours on the training field.
Threat of suspension not working
Questions are now being asked why the deterrent of suspension is not having the desired effect on Super Rugby players and how come — six seasons since World Rugby actually did issue their crackdown on high contact — the problem is getting worse.
Speaking on New Zealand's Sky Sport this week, All Blacks coach Ian Foster said simply "we've got to learn". But Super Rugby coaches – and players – have been saying that for six seasons.
And the numbers show that players aren't learning at all.
The idea of substantial fines for players has been raised. The idea of punishing coaches has also been raised, particularly if multiple players from the same club have been suspended within a time frame.
The issue of judiciary panels finding mitigating factors in tackles three days after referees couldn't in the moment the incident happened – as in Bell's case– needs consideration.
Certainly, World Rugby's own framework, that allows 50 per cent discounts for early pleas and clean records, also needs to be reviewed.
The vast majority of suspended players are eligible for this discount to the point that 'six weeks down to three' has been become the expected outcome of pretty much any judicial hearing.
The 10 players suspended so far in 2022 have received this 50 per cent discount. World Rugby's framework, which was designed as a genuine deterrent to players, waters down this very deterrent at almost every opportunity.
But something needs to change somewhere because the players simply are not getting the message any more.
Because if they were, we would not be seeing a player suspended every week like we have in Super Rugby Pacific this season.
